Far Infra-Red Saunas by High Tech Health, International

For some time now I have been investigating Far Infrared saunas from different manufacturers. Some years ago, when I first experienced the wonderful benefits of a Far Infrared Sauna, there were very few available, from only a couple of sources.

Since then, the benefits have become much more widely known, and consequently there are now a number of sources. The overall technology has improved and at least some manufacturers have taken advantage of the additional formal research as well as feedback from many people using these units, to improve their designs.

This is a good thing. But it also has made it more challenging to choose the right one. Along with a divergence in technology, there has been a significant spread in pricing. At the low end, one can find “bargain” Far Infrared Saunas designed for 2 people for around $1,200.00 (in the U.S.). At the higher end, a two-person Far Infrared Sauna can cost $5,000.00 or more, (also U.S.)

Before I get into specific models and recommendations, let me take moment to explain the difference between conventional saunas and Far Infrared saunas. Most of us are familiar with conventional saunas. In those, there is a bed of hot rocks, which radiate the heat to heat up the air in the whole sauna, typically anywhere from 140 degrees Fahrenheit on up to as high as 170. The air, in turn, heats your body. In addition, it is customary in many conventional saunas to pour water on the hot rocks, generating steam. This makes them more effective.

Many people find conventional saunas quite stressful. Some do not enjoy trying to breath the hot air. And I generally do not recommend them for people who are ill.

In contrast, the Far Infrared sauna works by having emitters, or “Far Infrared heaters”, which generate Far Infrared rays, that penetrate deeply into the body. These help the body to release toxins, stimulate blood and lymphatic flow, and help muscles to relax. They do NOT depend on heating the air inside the sauna. The air gets warm as a side-effect of the emitters, but it does not get hot, nor does it need to. In fact, many people who do not like the heat at all, leave the door open on their Far Infrared saunas and still get the full benefit.

Some people have not enjoyed saunas because being in a small, closed room makes them feel uncomfortable. Since you can even leave the door open in a Far Infrared sauna this is not a problem with them. In fact some Far Infrared saunas even have fan so that you get plenty of cool, fresh air as you enjoy your sauna. This does not seem to detract from the health benefits one bit.

Until now I have not felt ready to recommend any specific Far Infrared Sauna. Delving into the engineering of them is truly a complex and involved endeavor. Quite a bit of physics and advanced cellular and micro biology are involved.

I have finally put enough time and research into this complex subject to feel confident in a recommendation:

I believe that the Far Infrared Sauna line by High Tech Health, International, is an excellent product line that encompasses superb engineering, is well fabricated, and offers some outstanding health features at a reasonable price.

Their two-person unit at $3,495.00 plus shipping, is in the mid-price range. But it is clearly in the upper end from a quality and feature standpoint.

The differences in the actual far infra-red heating elements among different manufacturers are quite widespread. And the resulting differences in health affects can very significant. The most important health aspect of the heating elements is that they must be designed, fabricated and made from materials that result in an element that does not put out a lot of EMF, which is not good for living things, including human beings. Without going into the physics, I’ll just say that the heating elements designed and manufactured by High Tech Health, International are done right. A number of manufacturers use questionable approaches and questionable materials in the manufacturing of their heating elements. This could create its own set of health risks. You needn’t worry about this when it comes to the heating elements from High Tech Health.

An interesting and unique feature of the High Tech Health Far Infra-Red Sauna is that it is constructed from poplar wood. Almost all others are constructed from cedar wood. When I asked their engineering staff why they made the choice to use poplar wood, here’s what they told me: Cedar wood has been a traditional material for both conventional and Far Infrared Saunas for as long as they have been around. The reason is that cedar is highly rot resistant and weather resistant. This is desirable in a sauna that is out in the weather, being rained on and fully exposed to the elements. However, there is a price to be paid for this weather resistance. The very same organic chemicals that are naturally occurring in the cedar wood and that make it resistant to weather damage also are somewhat toxic to humans, and also more likely to provoke allergenic reactions. While the toxin is not strong enough to have dramatic effects for most people, it can and does put a load on the immune system, and so at least some of the health benefits are offset for most people.

With conventional sauna technology there is good reason to locate the sauna as a stand-alone building, or otherwise well isolated from living quarters. They generate and use a significant amount of conventional heat. In contrast, Far Infra-Red Saunas use an electrically-generated radiant energy that is very close to light in characteristics. There is very little actual heat involved. So there is no need to isolate a Far Infra-Red Sauna from other structures.

In fact, the very first time I ever used a Far Infra-Red Sauna, it was located in the spare bedroom of the house. It had been assembled right there, set directly on the carpeted floor of the bedroom, and there was no extra insulation or anything isolating it from the rest of the house. It did not cause the rest of the house to heat up. And it was quite convenient as the shower was right next to the spare bedroom. It turns out that placing Far Infrared Saunas in a spare room, or in a dual-use room, is actually quite common. Lots of people do this and find it works out very well.

And although some people do place their Far Infrared Saunas outdoors, most are located under a patio roof or other partial protection. So using cedar is not required.

So why use poplar wood? Well, I’ve pointed out why cedar may not be such a good choice because of the significant health problems that can result. Poplar wood is as close to neutral as possible, in terms of allergy factors, as well as other negative health effects.

Overall, I believe that the Far Infra-Red Saunas from High Tech Health, International are excellent, and represent a truly good choice and a good value. I am confident that the health benefits will be more than worth while.

High Tech Health now offers saunas in sizes from 1-person on up to 4-person. The High Tech Health Far Infrared saunas come as a set of modules that can be easily assembled in less than a half hour. You can set your sauna up indoors or on a covered patio. All sizes are 73 1/2″ high. The 1-person model is 36 1/4″ wide by 36 3/8″ deep; the 2-person model is: 49″ wide by 40 1/2″ deep; the 3-person model is 60 1/2″ wide by 44 1/2″ deep; the 4-person model is 70 1/2″ wide by 49 1/2″ deep. All but the 4-person model operate on 120 volts or can be special-ordered to operate on 220 volts. The 4-person model requires a 220 volt circuit.

We have a High Tech Health Far INfraredsauna, which I use nearly every night. I know that it is helping me to keep my body as free as possible of toxins. It feels great to take a nice sauna after a hard workout or a day of hard work. I find that I recover from whatever the stresses are if I take a sauna. In short, I love it. I sleep better after a Far Infrared sauna. It also boosts the immune system. (Far Infrared saunas are standard equipment in all of the best German medical clinics.) If I start to feel a cold coming on, I take 2 Far Infrared saunas a day and I don’t get the cold! It is one of the best health investments I have ever made.

To find out more, click here: Far Infrared Sauna. This link takes you to an overview page. For still more information click the Request Info TAB in the top menu bar.

If you do contact High Tech Health for more information, please let them know that I referred you. That will entitle you to a substantial discount should you choose to purchase one of their saunas.

33 Comments

The Sunlighten saunas are excellent. The only drawback to them that I am aware of is that they are expensive. They are elegant and very attractive. In terms of really beautiful detail work, the Sunlightens are great. But they are quite a bit more expensive than the High Tech Saunas and in terms of functionality, EMF, safety and actual health benefits, I do not think they are any better.

We have a High Tech suana and we love it.

If you do decide to get a High Tech sauna, let them know that I referred you and you will get a substantial discount.

Thanks for your inquiry. I am truly an independent party in this. I agree that it is hard to wade through all the “info” out there. Much of it is simply wrong because those providing the supposed info do not understand the basic laws of physics, nor many of the health principles involved. I like to think that I am an exception. I have a strong background in physics, and have been researching and practicing natural and holistic health for over 35 years.

I really like the High Tech Health saunas. Many of my clients have them. We have one that we frequently use. I did take EMF measurements on them a few years ago. They were very, very low. (Lower than all that I know of other than the Sunlighten Saunas, which also are very good, but which also cost quite a bit more.

I have a colleague who is a specialist in helping people survey and mitigate EMF and RF. He has a new meter that is even more sensitive than the one that I used. We are scheduling a new survey of my home, which will include the sauna. So I may have new info soon. (Should be within a month.) You can also call High Tech Health. In my experience they have been very honest about answering any questions about the products they offer. And if you tell them that I suggested you call, they will go the extra mile to spend whatever time you need to discuss any concerns. If you decide to purchase a High Tech Health sauna, let them know that I recommended their saunas and you will get a substantial discount from them.

By the way, High Tech Health also distributes the Akai Water Ionizer. We have one, (again after a great deal of research on my part), and we love it.

Please feel free to call or e-mail me if I can be of further help in any way.

Hi Jessie, Thanks for your kind words and support. I am grateful that we have this wonderful tool, the Internet, where we can share the many valuable things we have learned and are still learning. I intend to continue this work for as long as possible.

Yes, they are terrific Far InfraRed saunas. After much research and even tryhing several different Far INfRaRed saunas I setting onthe High Tech Health ones as being the best, and a really good value, as well. We have had one for several years and we love it. You buy them directlky from High Tech Health. http://www.hightechhealth.com – 800.794.5355 Best to call them. They carry 2 different sauna lines. Both are great, but I think the Thermal Life ones represent a better value and they are somewhat less expensive. If you call them and tell them I referred you, they will give you a $300 discount!

Please let me know if you have any questions about them or if there are other health matters that I can help you with.

Hey would you mind sharing which blog platform you’re using? I’m
going to start my own blog in the near future but I’m having a difficult time selecting between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your layout seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something completely unique.
P.S Sorry for being off-topic but I had to ask!

Hi Fredericka, Yes, this is off-topic, but no big deal. In the future, for web site questions, please feel free to just e-mail me directly: jeff@MyHealthOptimizer.com Now to your question: I am actually using the blog features that are built into the WordPress theme that I am using, which is Thematic. However, I have very extensively modified the theme by some custom coding. One of the unusual features of my site is that it actually supports two blogs that are on the same site, but that are independent. The blog under the “Resources” TAB is for reviewing health products and resources. The blog under the Health Blog Tab is completely separate. That was a real tricky thing to get working.

I did have to get some help from a professional web developer with this: http://www.liquidwebsite.com. We modified the master CSS that controls the look, feel and layout of the site. IN essence, we copied the child theme that controls the blog in the Thematic template for WordPress. Then modified the copied child theme so that it would not conflict with the original child theme. I am not a web developer. I am a holistic health researcher and practitioner. So it did require the help of a friend, who does that sort of work for a living.

I have two new web site developments I am working on: 1. I want to implement some sort of forum, but that may be awhile. I am concerned about the amount of time it could take to monitor and administrate it. 2. I am working on a special, “cancer info page”, called “Cancer Keys”. That will have some information about preventing and getting rid of cancer. I do not want to just hang that information out there for anyone who wants it. The problem is that cancer is a very tricky beast, and I think it is very important for people to work with someone who has real experience when they are dealing with cancer. And it seems important for people to have a certain level of prerequisite background knowledge in order to be able to realistically evaluate cancer information. So I ma creating a set of qualifying questions that visitors will need to properly answer in order to be given access to the information under the “Cancer Keys” TAB. So that is what I am working on next, web site wise.

By the way, your site is already awesome! I love what you are doing. The site is beautiful and what you are doing is inspiring. You may be interested to know that after I dropped out of medical school because I felt that their approach was mostly not my idea of how to achieve good health, maintain good health and help people who were ill to recover, I went back into building and structural engineering, which I learned about from my Dad while growing up. Long ago I built quite a few different types of buildings. and I have always been interested in both bamboo and in strawbale building. IN fact, it has long been a dream of mine to build a strawbale structure to house my holistic health clinic. Maybe some day I will be able to actually do it. Meanwhile, please keep up the great work, yourself! Let me know if I can be of further help.

Several people have recently asked me what time of day it is best to take a Far InfraRed Sauna. That is a great question. If you ask different “experts” you will get different answers. So I will just share what I do. I prioritize as follows: First, I want to make sure that I do take a Far InfraRed Sauna once a day if possible. So because my schedule is often packed full and not always as predictable as I wish, I often end up just squeezing in a Far InfraRed Sauna when I can. Sometimes if I know that I will be out late seeing clients, or presenting a health workshop, or for some other reason, I take my sauna in the morning before I start work. Basically, I just do what I can to work it into my day.

That said, my favorite time to take my Far InfraRed Sauna is shortly before I go to bed. It really helps me to get a much better night’s sleep. I find that I go to sleep more easily and quickly, and I tend to stay asleep for longer and to rest more deeply as I sleep. I generally wake up feeling more rested and ready to meet the new day if I have taken my Far InfraRed Sauna before bed time.

My second favorite time to take my Far InfraRed Sauna is immediately after a workout. It feels great after a hard bicycle ride, or one of my grueling martial arts workouts that I love to do. It just great after any experience like that, when I am still dripping with sweat, to jump into the sauna. And I think my recovery is actually faster when I can do that.

For those who might want to know, here is my favorite evening ritual: I take my Far InfraRed Sauna a little while before I am ready for bed. I have worked my way up so that setting our Far InfraRed Sauna to 130 degrees, letting it preheat for about 10 minutes, then sitting in it for 20 to 25 minutes feels about right for me. When I come out of the sauna I do a little bit of gentle stretching to take advantage of my muscles being looser than usual. (Tighter than optimal muscles is one of my ongoing health challenges.) Then I shower. Next I either apply some Ancient Minerals Magnesium Gel to my lower legs or I soak my lower legs, from about 3 inches below my knees on down in a bath of warm, filtered water with Ancient Minerals Magnesium Bath Salts dissolved in the water. I either soak for 20 minutes, or I leave the magnesium gel on for 20 minutes. While I am either soaking or just sitting quietly with the gel on my legs, waiting for the magnesium to absorb, I have the lights turned low and some quiet, soothing music on. It is sort of an end-of-day informal meditation. Sometimes I just daydream. Other times I may review parts of my day, and think of things to be grateful for, or perhaps things I want to use as inspiration for my dreams or even for the next day. But I am careful to do this without stress or any forced focus.

When about 20 minutes are up, I wipe down my legs and go to bed. This seems to work great.

I do not recommend taking a Far InfraRed Sauna more than once a day. I think you really get all the benefit that the Far InfraRed Sauna has to offer by taking one a day. Doing it more frequently may actually impose just enough stress so that it begins to offset the benefits. This is so even thought the Far InfraRed Sauna is the most gentle type of sauna available.

The bottom line is that the Far InfraRed Sauna is healing, is a great aid to detoxifying the body and for stimulating the immune system. These are all benefits that anyone can use. So I do my best to take a sauna every day. That said, given the realities of my schedule, I usually end up missing about 1 day a week. When that happens, I don’t sweat it, (pun definitely intended!). I know I can look forward to a rejuvenating Far InfraRed Sauna the next day.

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After all I will be subscribing to your rss feed and
I hope you write again very soon!

Hi. Thanks for your kind words. I do my best to share real information and to provide as much benefit as possible to those who read the various articles and posts. As you may have noticed, my site is kind of low tech. So am I. So I do not even have an RSS feed solution implemented yet. It is coming, soon, I hope. But my research and helping individual people with their health comes first.

Thanks for your kind words. Your blog layout is really nice. Some of the posts appear to be in Portuguese? Unfortunately, my linguistic skills are found wanting. So I am not able to understand that portion of the content, but again, the layout is very nice. It is innovative and pleasing in terms of look and feel. In fact, one of the things I really like about it is that it makes the comments portion look more a forum, so that those posting comments probably feel more like “members” than like “visitors”. That is a really nice element.

My name is Taylor and I am a type one diabetic. I have read many beneficial aspects of using the infrared sauna that would improve my health, but do not think I can afford it. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks.

Yes, the benefits of Far InfraRed Saunas can be wonderful. That is provided they are the right type, well engineered and properly made. We have one that we use on a frequent basis and we love it. In fact we have the same one reviewed in this post. And even though it is one of the more reasonably-priced good quality Far InfraRed saunas available, it is still more than some can afford. I do understand that. There are plenty of health measures I would like to adopt that I have not, so far, simply because they are beyond our budget.

Of course, there are many other natural health measures that could help; you. However, I cannot provide a blanket recommendation. I would have to know more about you, your overall health, your health background, and so on. If you spend much time on this site you will notice that I write extensively about the basic principles of health that I have found to be safe and effective and that I think people need to know about. But I stop short of giving specific advice to people dealing with specific conditions because I mostly do not know the details of what they are dealing with. So such advice would not be helpful and may not even be safe.

When it comes to health, the “one-size-fits-all” approach does not usually work well. There is simply too much variation among human beings for “generic” measures to be good for most. So if you want to go to the “Get Started” page on this site, you could fill in the information requested and submit your input. That gets the ball rolling for you to have a complimentary consultation with me. That is where specific recommendations will be possible.

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It’s surprising you are not more popular because you definitely have the gift.

Thank you for your kind words. I do my best. I am very fortunate that I have a strong background in the basic sciences and that gives me access to a number of tools that those without that background simply do not have. I also work really hard at trying to communicate as clearly as possible. That is a real challenge for me so I end up spending a lot of time trying to make sure that my writing is as precise and well thought out as I can make it. I wish I were better at the writing side of this work.

As far as popularity goes, I need to be a bit careful. My methods often radically differ from those that are accepted and have become the standards of conventional medicine. And they often take a dim view of anyone who questions how they do things, especially if one is getting good results. So, to some extent, my low profile is deliberate.

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Thanks for letting me know. I struggle with trying to stay compatible with all of the browsers that are out there. When I started, there were only a few browsers that were in common use. Now I can think of at least 10 that are in common use. And they all render pages differently. With some, the differences are slight. With others they are significant. I do not have the resources to make my site work perfectly with all browsers. IN fact, that is nearly impossible, since there are conflicting programming requirements. So I do my best to make it work as well as possible with the majority of browsers. And for the others, in most cases the rendering problems are slight enough so that the content can still be read. That said, if you let me know what operating system you are running and also what version of Internet Explorer you are using, I will do my best to address the issues.

Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. I write as often as I can. I have to sandwich it in between working with people, one-on-one, to help them get well. That is my priority and my life’s work. However, I post as often as possible, time permitting.

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Feel free to surf to my web site: Web site link removed by the web site administrator for http://www.MyHealthOptimizer.com. Our policies do not allow posting of web sites in our comments that do not refer to health information, or that are for commercial purposes. Thanks for your understanding.

Thanks for your kind words about my articles and posts. I appreciate that. And I’m sure that anyone who need help with health will appreciate being steered to this resource.

Please understand that we cannot leave other web site links that do not relate to this site’s only purpose, sharing crucial health information in the comments. We need to respect the needs of those who come here for help with their urgent health problems by not compelling them to sort through non-health comments, advertisements and the like when for many it is all that they can manage to try and find the health solutions they so desperately are searching for. Thanks so much for understanding and respecting this priority.

Hi Nancy, Terrific! I’m sure you will find it very helpful. We LOVE our sauna that we have had for a few years, now. It is the same kind that you are most likely looking at. When you call High Tech Health to order your sauna be sure to mention that I referred you so that you get your discount.

Please also let me know if you have questions about using your new sauna or if there is any else I can help you with.

Hi Jeff — Thank you for your postings about FIR saunas and regarding Thermal Life saunas in particular. It is getting harder and harder to compare saunas these days with so many manufacturers out there and now with carbon heaters. Have you had the chance to compare carbon heaters against the more traditional types that HTH uses? I know that HTH heaters are somewhat unusual in that I believe they are sand filled or something similar. The carbon folks say the old style heaters are old and not as good and the folks like HTH are saying the carbons are cheap and not good enough. And I must ask, you do not have any investment in HTH in any way in that you are paid to promote them? It is very very hard to find reviews of saunas online that are not on websites that in reality are mouthpieces for the different manufacturers. Very frustrating for a consumer trying to get unbiased info. Thanks for your time!

Hi Dannie, I’m glad you like my article. But I am not sure what you are asking for. Can you clarify? I am not available for hire for outside projects. My main work, besides researching and sharing valuable health information that is not readily available elsewhere is helping people to overcome cancer. So I do not have any extra time available for outside projects, which it sounds like may be what you are asking about?